标签： Antigua and Barbuda

A formal official notice has been issued to confirm the appointment of returning officers, a key step in preparing for upcoming electoral processes.

Returning officers hold a critical responsibility in the smooth execution of any democratic election: they oversee all on-the-ground logistics for voting stations, validate the eligibility of candidates on the local level, manage polling day operations, and ultimately announce the final results for their respective electoral districts. Their work forms the backbone of transparent, orderly electoral proceedings, ensuring that every vote is counted correctly and the entire process adheres to established legal and regulatory frameworks.

This appointment notice comes as election organizers advance through pre-election planning milestones. The appointments are the result of a rigorous screening process that evaluated candidates’ administrative experience, impartiality, and ability to manage complex, high-stakes logistical operations under strict deadlines. All appointees have confirmed their acceptance of the roles and are scheduled to complete mandatory pre-election training covering updates to electoral law, new voting technology protocols, and procedures for handling potential disruptions or disputes on polling day.

Election commission officials have emphasized that the appointment of returning officers is a core requirement to keep the electoral timeline on track, and that all selected individuals have committed to upholding the principles of neutrality and transparency throughout the electoral cycle. Further announcements detailing the specific electoral districts assigned to each returning officer are expected to be released to the public in the coming weeks.

As political parties across Antigua and Barbuda ramp up campaign efforts ahead of the approaching national general election, Chairman of the ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) E.P. Chet Greene has laid out a comprehensive portfolio of completed and planned development initiatives for the St. Paul’s constituency, framing the work as proof of consistent, long-term progress rather than last-minute electioneering.

At the core of the constituency’s recent gains are expanded public healthcare infrastructure, designed to reduce barriers to access for local residents. Greene confirmed that two upgraded healthcare facilities are now fully operational: a newly constructed primary care clinic in the community of Cobbs Cross, and a comprehensive renovation of an existing clinic elsewhere in St. Paul’s. “We have two very functional clinics in St. Paul’s, bringing healthcare services to a new level,” Greene shared in his remarks, emphasizing that the upgrades were structured to bring essential care directly closer to the communities that need it. Looking ahead, the ABLP has further plans to widen the scope of available services, adding specialized dental and vision care to the constituency’s public health offerings in coming months.

Beyond healthcare, the ABLP has prioritized youth development and workforce readiness through expanded education and vocational training opportunities. A key milestone in this effort is the nearing completion of a new technical training centre, which will offer programming across a range of practice-focused career tracks. One dedicated wing of the facility will provide professional training in beauty and skincare, while other sections will cover a broad spectrum of vocational skills aligned with local labour market demands.

This new centre complements existing training partnerships with larger post-secondary institutions across the country, including the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, where dozens of St. Paul’s residents are already enrolled in skills-building programs. “We have about 30 students on short courses… and others in longer programmes,” Greene noted, adding that youth empowerment and accessible education remain non-negotiable pillars of the constituency’s long-term growth strategy.

The ABLP’s development agenda for St. Paul’s also includes targeted expansion of affordable housing, with Greene confirming that new parcels of land will soon be opened up for residential development to accommodate the constituency’s growing population. Complementary infrastructure upgrades, including improved emergency response facilities, are also in the works to support the area’s expanding population and growing local economic activity.

Greene took explicit care to distinguish the ABLP’s ongoing work from pre-election campaign promises, stressing that consistent progress in St. Paul’s has been a years-long priority rather than a temporary push for votes. “While others campaign, I maintain,” he said, emphasizing his administration’s sustained presence and on-the-ground engagement with constituents throughout his tenure. The rollout of the constituency’s development record comes as the ABLP works to highlight its delivery track record across all electoral districts ahead of the upcoming vote.

As the island nation of Antigua and Barbuda enters an election cycle, the incumbent Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) has launched its re-election campaign with a bold, forward-looking national development framework branded as the “Renaissance” agenda. Speaking at the official campaign kickoff event, ABLP chairman E.P. Chet Greene broke down the core values and practical goals of the new initiative, framing it as far more than a political slogan, but a foundational shift in how the party will govern if returned to office.\n\nGreene explained that the concept of Renaissance represents a deliberate transition to a new era of governance rooted in national renewal and strengthened, collaborative engagement between the government and the public. “Renaissance is a period that we’re now entering into — that period of renewal, refreshing, of advancing the development thrust of Antigua and Barbuda,” he told attendees.\n\nCentral to the framework is its explicit people-centric design, Greene emphasized, rejecting any characterization of the agenda as empty political rhetoric. Instead, he positioned the Renaissance as a actionable guiding principle that will shape every policy decision the party makes, prioritizing tangible improvements to the daily lives of all Antigua and Barbuda citizens. “It’s not just an abstract. It’s not a phrase. It’s the real touchstone of our local community,” Greene said.\n\nBuilding on the policy progress the current ABLP administration has already delivered, the Renaissance agenda will direct continued targeted investment and expansion across four of the nation’s most critical sectors: public healthcare, accessible education, affordable housing, and the key economic pillar of tourism. Greene noted that while the incumbent government has racked up measurable achievements over its term, there is still critical work to be done to move the nation forward. “We have achieved and accomplished much, but the work continues — and a new burst of energy, a new commitment, a new building of a relationship with the people… is what this Renaissance is all about,” he said.\n\nTo illustrate the party’s ongoing progress in the education space, Greene highlighted the expansion of the University of the West Indies’ local footprint in Antigua and Barbuda, an initiative designed to expand access to higher education for domestic students and build a stronger, more skilled national workforce aligned with the nation’s long-term economic goals. This kind of progress embodies the core of the Renaissance vision, he added: a fundamental renewal of governance and thinking that puts public good first. “We’re looking at that kind of rebirth — a newness of thinking, a newness of doing things — all for the benefit of Antigua and Barbuda,” Greene said.\n\nThe Renaissance theme has been positioned as the centerpiece of ABLP’s re-election platform, with Greene closing by urging all eligible citizens to see themselves as active stakeholders in the nation’s next chapter of growth. Repeating the core value that underpins the entire agenda, he emphasized: “The most important thing in this Renaissance is this people-centric approach.”

In a formal announcement released by the Inland Revenue Department under Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Finance, a new cabinet-approved policy will bring temporary tax relief to consumers across the twin-island nation early next month. Following Cabinet Decision Item No. 112, dated March 18, 2026, the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST) will be cut to 0% for two days – April 10 and 11, 2026 – on a pre-defined range of essential goods including most food products and a full suite of school supplies.

The tax break covers all food items categorized under tariff codes 1000 through 2501, plus biscuits falling under tariff code 20089011. For school-related goods, the zero-tax policy applies to a wide list of items: writing utensils including pencils, pens, markers, highlighters, crayons and coloured pencils; classroom essentials such as erasers, sharpeners, rulers, glue, glue sticks, scissors, construction paper, graph paper, index cards, notebooks, folders, binders, binder sheets, pencil cases, and geometry sets; plus larger necessities including calculators, school uniforms, school bags, art supplies, information technology supplies, home economics supplies, and even student shoes.

Not all goods qualify for the temporary rate reduction, the department clarified. Excluded products that will remain subject to standard ABST rates include beer and all other alcoholic beverages (tariff codes 2203 to 2208), tobacco products (tariff code 2400), manufacturing extracts (tariff codes 1300 to 1400), animal feed (tariff code 2300), and live plants (tariff code 0600).

The Inland Revenue Commissioner has instructed registered retailers to record all qualifying zero-rated sales using the dedicated zero-rated supplies line on the standard ABST 03 tax form to ensure compliance with the new temporary policy. The two-day tax holiday is widely expected to ease financial pressure on households as they prepare for the return to school, cutting costs for families stocking up on essential supplies and groceries ahead of the new academic term.

At a Tuesday evening candidate ratification gathering, Harold Lovell, the United Progressive Party (UPP) nominee for the All Saints West constituency, publicly threw his support behind party leader Jamale Pringle and issued a urgent call for intra-party cohesion and sweeping national transformation ahead of the upcoming general election.

Addressing a room of energized UPP backers, Lovell positioned the approaching electoral contest as a defining crossroads for the nation. “We are at that point where change is necessary,” he asserted, framing the vote as a critical opportunity to shift the country’s trajectory.

The former finance minister used the high-profile event to shore up confidence in Pringle’s leadership, telling assembled attendees: “As I stand, I am happy to say that we stand behind the honorable Jamale Pringle.” His endorsement served to cement what he framed as a unified UPP bloc as the party kicks off its official general election campaign.

Lovell stressed that internal party solidarity would be the single most critical factor determining the UPP’s performance at the polls, pushing supporters to set aside past internal disagreements. “Whatever is in the past, bury the past. And whatever is in the future, let it rise,” he said. “unity is not just a slogan. Unity is our strength.”

Moving beyond internal party messaging, Lovell outlined the UPP’s core identity, casting the organization as far more than a conventional political party. “The United Progressive Party is not just a political organization. It is a movement,” he explained. “It is a movement that puts people first… a philosophy which says that the people must be the center of development.”

He pushed back against claims of growing internal rifts, telling the crowd that despite external efforts to fracture the party, UPP members have remained tightly aligned. “The enemy has tried to divide us… but I’m here tonight to tell you… we are united. We are strong. We stand together.”

Framing the election through a populist lens, Lovell argued that the outcome would be shaped by the collective will of voters, not the sitting government. “The power in the people is greater than the people in power,” he declared, drawing loud applause from the gathered crowd.

In closing, Lovell issued a direct appeal to eligible voters across the country, urging widespread participation in the electoral process. “We need your voice and we need your vote… and we’re going to make a change in this country,” he said. “There’s going to be no turning back… only going forward.”

The candidate ratification event is just one part of the UPP’s broader pre-election campaign push, as all major parties finalize their candidate slates and gear up for polling day. For the UPP, leadership unity and grassroots voter mobilization have already emerged as the central pillars of its election strategy.